Radio Richard | Richard Niles Podcast

Dr. Richard Niles has had musical adventures with some of the world’s most successful and acclaimed artists from Paul McCartney to Pat Metheny, James Brown to Randy Brecker, Tina Turner to Michael McDonald, Ray Charles to the Pet Shop Boys. In this free chapter Niles comprehensively explains technique and the art of VOICING. Praise from his colleagues includes Paul McCartney, “a great arranger and...

In this new series of videos, composer/arranger/songwriter Richard Niles expands on his catchphrase “IDEAS MAKE YOU BETTER”. In this video, he shows how brass arranging ideas have helped songs become hits using examples from Martha & The Vandellas, Chic, The Beatles, and his own hits for Grace Jones and Was Not Was. Let us know what other subjects you’d like to hear Richard discuss in songwriting,...

MASTER percussionist PETER ERSKINE demonstrates his concepts and techniques at the drums! He explains his musical concepts and his instrumental techniques – his way of dealing with the sometimes-challenging personalities of his fellow musicians. He tells HOW Weather Report and Steps Ahead rehearsed new material. How the grooves for Seth McFarlane album were created. And he demonstrates it all on t...

Grammy and multi award-winning drummer/composer Peter Erskine is widely regarded as one of the world’s finest musicians. His 50 albums as leader are joined by playing in the iconic bands of Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, Weather Report, Steps Ahead, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Diana Krall, both Brecker brothers, Gary Burton, Pat Metheny and John Scofield. In this extraordinary interview with compos...

Legendary bass player JERRY JEMMOTT played on many hits by Aretha Franklin (“Think”), Nina Simone (“Ain’t Got No”), B.B. King (“The Thrill Is Gone”), Laura Nyro, Greg Allman, and King Curtis. He helped define the sound of the electric bass in the New York studios and in Muscle Shoals, Memphis. In this interview with composer/arranger Richard Niles, he demonstrates the concepts that made Jaco Pasto...

Jerry Jemmott helped create and define the Electric Bass in R&B, Soul, and Funk. In this revealing interview with composer Richard Niles, Jemmott discusses his journey from the Bronx to Memphis, from jazz to blues to soul - Atlantic Records to Muscle Shoals - Wilson Pickett to King Curtis to Aretha Franklin. Bass in hand, he demonstrates the unique sound that has earned him the title “The Groovema...

Comedian, singer, songwriter and actor Kate Robbins has had hit singles, made her own TV shows, done many voices for TV commercials, was a top studio vocalist, a jazz singer and pianist, acted on British soap Crossroads, wrote the theme song for Cilla Black’s “Surprise Surprise”, performed on iconic British comedy shows Just A Minute and Grumpy Old Women, and created voices for Spitting Image – no...

Richard Hewson had a college jazz group with bassist PETER ASHER. Asher’s sister Jane was going with another bass player named Paul. Hewson went on to arrange for the Beatles (The Long and Winding Road), McCartney (My Love), James Taylor, Mary Hopkin (Those Were The Days), Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Cliff Richard, and many more. He produced albums for Toyah Wilcox, Five Star and Shakin’ Stevens. He...

The second part of my interview with Pete Waterman, a man who likes trains and has made more hits than ANY producer. He loves music so much, he broke down and cried in this interview. .Beginning as a DJ in the 1950s and 60s, Waterman had close connections with Motown in the 60s and Philadelphia International in the ‘70s. He produced his first record while on holiday in Jamaica and became a Radio O...

Pete Waterman produced and co-wrote over 200 hit singles in the 1980s. While most critics dismissed the music as worthless, the public, who bought many million records, and Pete Waterman’s bank manager, knew the exact worth of it.  Was the music formulaic?  Yes, but that could be said for much of pop.  Was it tuneful and danceable?  Absolutely.  Did it accurately reflect the ‘dress up & dance’, ‘s...

In Part 2, Vettese and Niles talk about why there is a Universe in an eighth-note, the ARTISTIC frame of reference, how our culture devalues and disenfranchises artists, and how we're not gonna take it any more! #peterjohnvettese #richardniles  #jethrotull #beegees #annielennox #petshopboys Please Like, Share, and Subscribe to our YouTube channel: 💞 https://www.youtube.com/user/DRRICHARDNILES?sub...

Philosopher, Producer, Virtuoso Musician PETER-John VETTESE has created hits for the last 40 years. In this unique talk with Richard Niles he discusses the philosophical roots of his mind-blowing creativity working with JETHRO TULL, Cutting Crew, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Go West, Pet Shop Boys, Bee Gees, Foreigner, Simple Minds, Annie Lennox, Peter Cox, Heather Small. WARNING: This interview is...

Dr. CARMINE MIRANDA is a classical cello Rockstar! Born in Venezuela of Armenian/Italian parents, Carmine is an internationally recognized, multi award-winning soloist and recording artist - the youngest musician to ever record Bach’s Six Cello Suites at 22. But he is also an EDM (electronic Dance Music) composer/producer/DJ who runs his own label, RLU Records. Carmine. He is Professor of Cello at...

Mark Egan is one of the world’s finest bassists. Starting his career with the first PAT METHENY GROUP, he has worked with Gil Evans, John McLaughlin, Cyndi Lauper, Stan Getz, Michael Franks, Roger Daltrey, Sting and Duran Duran off-shoot group ARCADIA. His partnership with drummer Danny Gottlieb has led to many albums of their group ELEMENTS and their new duo album “Electric Blue”. Mark takes us i...

Singer/songwriter DAISY CHUTE interviews RICHARD NILES about his many years working with the PET SHOP BOYS. “Left To My Own Devices” (1988) was their 2nd single from INTROSPECTIVE album. Produced by Trevor Horn it reached #4 in the UK charts. Niles takes us behind the scenes of excess and EuroDisco, conducting huge orchestras and choirs full of Welsh miners, “Go West”, “If Love Were All”, “Can You...

Daisy and Richard talk about Breakout” the 1986 smash hit by SWING OUT SISTER (# 4 UK, #6 USA Pop, AC #1) that made everyone happier than they already were. Niles talks about arranging the catchy strings and brass, producer Paul Stavely O’Duffy, writing the liner notes on the album “It’s Better To Travel”, and doing the RAP on “Twilight World”. Inside stories and bop poetry. Sophisticated jazzy po...

Grammy Award–winning drummer, composer, percussionist, author, and educator Mark Walker is a professor in the Percussion Department at Berklee College of Music. He has performed and recorded with Oregon, Donato Poveda, Paquito D'Rivera, Michel Camilo, Dave Samuels, Andy Narell, WDR Big Band, NDR Big Band, Eliane Elias, Lyle Mays, Dave Liebman, Cesar Camargo Mariano, Rosa Passos, and many more. We...

Joey Sellars - Hepcat in the Classroom! Joey Sellers is a “Hepcat “by any standards of hepcat-ness. The award-winning Jazz trombonist, composer and arranger has been teaching for 20 years, influencing a new generation of jazzbos, hepcats and alligators to become serious musicians. Sellers is recipient of the Gil Evans Fellowship in Jazz Composition, the Sammy Nestico Award, and the Julius Hemphill...

In 2008, I interviewed Jeremy Lubbock for two BBC documentaries, “Richard Niles’ History of Pop Arranging” and “What is Melody?”. Jeremy was in fine form and discussed the current state of music, the music business and record companies. He also talked about his masterpiece recording “Awakening” conducted by his brother John and produced by George Martin. I am very happy to let music lovers hear th...

Janita (Jenny) Haan has been called “the most powerful voice in rock history” from her work with British ‘prog-rock band, Babe Ruth. With a career spanning an incredible 50 years, the band led by composer/arranger/guitarist Alan Shacklock had many hits, their single “The Mexican” being a hit twice when it was taken up by remixer Jellybean Benitez and the hip-hop community in the 80s. Jenny talks a...

Sylvester Rivers is the living history of popular music from the age of 16 playing his first sessions in Detroit for Motown to the studios of Los Angeles and hundreds of hit records that he has played keyboards on arranged, produced or written for artists like Aretha Franklin, Nancy Wilson, Candi Staton, High Inergy. He talks to fellow arranger/composer Richard Niles about Motown, the Funk Brother...

In 2008 I wrote and hosted a 7-part series for BBC Radio 2, “Richard Niles’ History of Pop Arranging”. This eventually led to my PhD from Brunel University and my book, “The Invisible Artist”. The book, with interviews and 222 musical transcriptions of some of the greatest records in popular music, is available here:     Anyone who speaks to Jeremy Lubbock becomes aware very quickly that they are...

Congratulations to TFF for making a great new record in 2021. But this exciting hit (#5 UK, #2 USA) was my first meeting with Tears For Fears. Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith had already had hits like “Shout” and “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”. But this was something different! Daisy Chute chats with me about how we sowed many seeds of love in the studio and why it’s impossible to park if you h...

Guitarist, songwriter, arranger and producer Alan Shacklock had massive hits with his Art/Prog Rock band BABE RUTH in the 1970s, with singer Jennie Haan. He went on to produce Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Meat Loaf, Mike Oldfield, Bonnie Tyler, Jeff Beck and Roger Daltrey. He produced soundtracks for the films Quicksilver, Doc Hollywood, Buddy’s Song and music for the FIFA World Cup. His song “The Mex...

Guitarist, songwriter, arranger and producer Alan Shacklock had massive hits with his Art/Prog Rock band BABE RUTH in the 1970s, with singer Jennie Haan. He went on to produce Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Meat Loaf, Mike Oldfield, Bonnie Tyler, Jeff Beck and Roger Daltrey. He produced soundtracks for the films Quicksilver, Doc Hollywood, Buddy’s Song and music for the FIFA World Cup. His song “The Mex...